Automatic train control



Oct. 26 1926.

1,604,538 P. J. SIMMEN AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL Filed April 10. 1923 NVEN TOR Patented get. 26, 192%.

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AUIGMATIG ream GONIROL.

Application tilled April 19,

This invention relates to railway train control systems particularlythose in which there is both automatic and manual control and more esecially those in which there is also provi 'ng means for indicating andrecording, at a central station, the movement of trains.

The improvement consists in controlling fixed signals displayed alongthe track by means of a track circuit, but certain signals only are socontrolled by the track circuit while others are displayed along thetrack without being subject to the track circuit control.

The object of the invention is to provide a central signal system bywhich certain signals may be given to trains independent of trackcircuit control and other signals may be given dependent upon trackcircuit control.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of theinvention progresses and the'novel features will be particularly pointedout in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to theaccompanying drawing wherein I have illustrated a preferred hys-- icalembodiment of my invention and wherein like characters of referencedesignate cor responding parts throughout the several views and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the apparatus and circuits inthe dispatchers ofiice and along the track; Fig. 2, is a modification ofFig. 1 showing the apparatus and circuits along the track.

Fig. 1 shows a track consisting of track rails 1 and 2. Rail 1 iselectrically continuous and rail 2 is divided into sections by means ofinsulating joints as 3, thus dividing the track into blocks. Near oneend of each block is a track battery as 4 and near the other end of eachblock is a track relay as 5, constituting with their connections to therails, a track circuit well known to those skilled in the art. Trackrelay 5 controls three armatures as 6, 7 and 8. WVhen track relay 5 isenergized, armature 7 makes contact with front contact 10 and when trackrelay 5 is deenergized, armature 6 and 8 make contact with back contact11 and 12.

In Fig. 1 are shown six signals for each block designated as No. 1, 2,3,4, 5 and 6. These signals are erected along the trackway in the usualmanner so as to be easily visible to an engineer on an approaching,train.

192a. Serial No. career.

These signal are controlled by the several positions of the armatures ofa polarized re lay, as 13, and an. alternating current relay, as 14,both of which are located along the trackway suitably housed. In thedispatchers ofice are corresponding relays, a

' relay, as 15, and an alternating current re lay, as 16. The armaturesof relays 15 and 16 control two perforating magnets, as 17 and 18. Theperforating magnets are for the purpose or making a record andindicationof the movement of trains and their operation will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

By means of manually operable switches l9and 20 in the dispatchersofice, relays 13 and 15 and alternating current relays 14 and 16 areenergized through three difierent circuits: the positive direct currentcircuit; the negative direct current circuit; and the alternatingcurrent circuit.

The positive direct current circuit is as follows: from positive pole ofbattery 21 in the dispatchers oifice, wire 24, impedance coil 25, bus26, wire-27, spring contact 28, manually operable switch 19, wire 29,relay 15, wire 39, impedance coil 31,wire 32, line wire 33, to terminal34, resistance 35, wire 36, terminal 47,

wire 38, impedance coil 39, wire 40, polarized relay 13, wires 41 and 42to track rail 1 and thence by wires 43 and 44 to negative pole ofbattery 21.

The negative direct current circuit is as follows: from positive pole ofbattery 22, wires 45, 46, and 43 to track rail 1, wires 42 and 41,polarized relay 13, wire 40, impedance coil 39, wire 38, terminal 37,wire 36, resistance 35, terminal 34, line wire 33, wire 32, impedancecoil 31,wire 30, relay 15, wire 29, switch 19, spring contact 47, wire48, bus 49, impedance coil 50, and wire 51 to the negative pole ofbattery 22.

The alternating current circuit is as follows: the alternating currentsource. 23 in the dispatchers 'ofiice, wire 52, condenser 53, bus 54,spring contact-55, switch 20, wire 56, alternating current relay 16,'wire 57, condenser 58, wire 59, line wire 33, terminal 34, resistance35, wire 36, terminal 37, and thence through condenser 60, alternatingcurrent relay 14, wires 61 and 42 to track rail 1 and thence throughwires 43 and 46 to alternating current source 23.

Impedance coils 25, 50 and 31 and 39 are inserted to prevent the flow ofalternating current through the circuit in which they are inserted, andcondensers 53, 58 and 60 to prevent the flow of direct current throughthe scribed circuits, depending upon the position of the manuallyoperable switches 19 and 20,

six different electrical conditions can be established in the relays 13and 14 along the track as follows:

First c0mlz'ti0n..When switch 19 is" in contact with spring contacts 28and switch I 20 is in contact with spring contact 55, polarizedrelay; 13is positively energized and alternating current relay 14.is alsoenergized.

Second c0nditz'0n.-When switch 19 is in contact with contact spring 47and switch 20' is'in contact with spring contact 55, polarized relay 13is negatively energized and alternating current relay 14 is alsoenergized. Third 00nditi0n.-When switch 19 isv in contact with springcontact 28, when switch 20 is open, polarized relay 13 is positivelyenergized but alternating current relay 14 is deenergized;

Fourth c0nditz'0n.When switch 19 is in contact with spring contact 47,and switch 20 is open, polarized relay 13 is negatively energized butalternating current relay 14 is deenergized.

Fifth conditi0n.-When switch 19 is open, that is not making contact witheither spring contacts 28 or 47 and switch20 is making contact withspring contact 55, polarized relay 13 is deenergized but alternatingcurrent relay is energized. Swath conditi9n.-When switches 19 and 20 areboth open, relays 13 and 14 are both deener 'zed. I w' 1 now describethe o eration of signals No. 1,2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 epending upon theseveral conditions of polarized relay, 13

and alternating relay 14: Signal No. 1:

When polarized relay 13 is energized with positive direct current andalternating current relay 14 is energized with alternating current,neutral armatures 62 and 63 of relay 13 make contact with front contacts64 and 65 and polarized armatures 66 and 67 of relay 13 are in the righthand position, thus making contact with contacts 68 and 69.

Armature 70 of relay 14 makes contact with front contact 71. Thisposition of the several armatures'establishes a circuit through signalNo. 1 as follows: from battery 72, wires 73 and 74, armature 7 0, frontcontact 71, wire 7 5, armature 62, front contact 64, wire 76, polarizedarmature 66, contact 68, wire 77, armature 7, of track relay 5, frontcontact 10, wire 78, signal No. 1, wire 79, to the other side ofbattery72.

- left Signal N o. 2.-When polarized relay 13 is energized with negativedirect current and alternating current relay 14 is energized withalternating current, neutral armatures 62 and 63 .of relay 13 makecontact-withfrout eral armatures establishes a circuitthrough signal No.2 as follows: from battery 72, wires 73 and 74, armature 70, frontcontact 71, wire 75, armature 62, frontcontact 64, wire 76, polarizedarmature 66, contact 80, wire 82, signal No. 2, and wire 79 to the otherside of battery 72. J

Signal N0. 3.-When a polarized relay 13 is energized with positivedirect current and alternating current relay 14-is deenergized,

nutral armatures 62 and 63 ofrelay 13 make contact with front contacts64 and 65, and polarized armatures 66 .and 67 are inthe right handposition making contact with contacts 68 and 69, and armature 70 ofrelay 14 makes contact with back contact 83. This position of theseveral armatures establishes a circuit through signal No. 3 as follows:from battery 7 2, wires 73 and'74, armature 70, back contact 83, wire84, armature 63, front contact 65, wire 85, polarized'armature 67,contact 69, wire 86, signal No. 3, and wire 79, to the other side ofbattery 7 2. 1

' Signal N0. 4.--When polarized relay is.

energized with negativedi'rect current and alternating current relay 14is deenergized, neutral armatures 62 and 63 ofrel'ay 13 makes contactwith front contacts 64 and 65 and polarized armatures 66 and'67'are inthe and position making contact with contacts 80 and 81. Armature 70 ofrelay 14 makes contact with back contact 83. This position of theseveral armatures establishes a circuit through signal No. 4 as follows:battery 72, wires 73, and 74, armature 70, back contact 83, wire 84,armature 63, front contact 65, wire 85, polarized armature 67 contact81, wire 87, signal No. 4, and wire 79 to the other side of battery 7 2.

ls'z'gm'zl No.-5.-When polarized relay 13' is deenergized andalternating current relay 14 is energized with alternating current,neutral armatures 62 and 63 of relay 13 make contact with back contacts88 and 89. Armature 70 of relay 14 makes contact with front contact 71.This position of' the several armatnres establishes a circuit throughsignal No. 5, as follows: from battery 72, wires 73 and 74, armature 70, front contact 71, wire 75, armature 62, back contact 88, wire 90'.

signal No. 5, and wire 79 to the other side of battery 7 2. I

Signal N 0. 6.+-\Vhen polarized relay 13 is deen'ergized and alternatingcurrent relay 14 is also deenergized, neutral armatures 62'and 63 ofrelay 13 make contact with back contacts 88 and 89. Armature 70 of relay14 makes contact with back contact 83. This position of the severalarmatures establishes a circuit through signal No. 6 as-follows: frombattery 72, wires 73 and 74, armature 70, backjcontact 83, wire 84,armature 63,

back contact 89, wire 91, signal No. 6, and

wire 79 to'the other side of battery 72.

may display any one of the six signals by the several positions of themanually operable switches 19 and 20. The difference how ever, betweenthis invention and the invention shown in my application Serial No.618,193, filed Februa 10,1923, consists in that only safety signa No.1and No. 6 are also automatically controlled by a track circuit butfacility signals Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are independent of such trackcircuit control.

This is accomplished by taking the circuit through signal No. 1 througharmature 7 of trackrelay 5 and establishing 'a branch circuit throughsignal No. 6 by armature 8. of track relay 5. The automatic control ofsignals Nos. 1 and 6 by means of a track circuit, operates inthe'following manner: As

long as there is no train in the block ahead track relay 5 is energizedand armature 7 makes contact with frontcontact 10. Thus the circuitthrou'ghsignal No. 1 is closed at front contact 10,therefore signal No;1 will be under the full control of the dispatcher by means of switches19 and 20, but when there is a train in the block ahead, the energy fromtrack battery 4 is short circuited through the wheels and'axles of thetrain in a manner well-known to those skilled in the 'but a new circuitis established t rough signal No. 6 as follows: from battery 72, wires73 and 93, armature 8 of .track relay 5, back contact 12, wire 94,signal No. 6, and wire 79 to the other side of battery 72.

It will thus be seen that the dispatcher can display any one of the sixsignals by placing switches 19 and 20 in their several positions butwhen there is a train in the block ahead, signal No. 1 is automaticallyannulled and signal No. 6 is displayed instead. v

Devices Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are merely schematic-and may be signallamps which are lighted when their respective circuits are closed. orthey may be translating devices such as relays by which circuits areconj trolled to operate semaphore signals or any -Nos., 1 and 6 only,automatically by a track circuit, it is obvious that I'do not mean toexclude a construction in whichany of the six signals instead of '1 and6 or in addition It Wlll thus. be seen that the dispatcher to them mayalso be automatically controlled by a trackcircuit by taking the circuitthrough any one of the six signals through an armature of a track relay.

' I will now describe the recording apparatus in the dispatchers officefor recording the progress of trains over the division. A

record sheet, as 95, is suitably mounted and net 101 is not energized.Electro-magnet 101 is connected by wire 104to a make-and-break device,as '105, which make-andbreak device is periodically operated by clock,as 106, this may Well be of the form as shown in m prior Patent No.1,203,146, granted Octo er 21,

1916. When the make and break device is closed, the electro-magnet 101.is energized through the following circuit: battery 107, wires 108 and109, electro-magnet 101, wire 104, make-and-break device 105, wires 110and 111, to the other side of battery 107. The make-and-break device isoperated, say every five seconds, by the clock 106, so as 'to give aslow and uniform movement to record sheet 95 through ratchet wheel '98and pawl 99. t e

- The record sheet 95 is transversely divided into sections'as 112 and1.13, each section representing a block alongthe track. Longitudinallythe record sheet is divided into time lines, as 1.00 a. 111., each oneof the lines representing a one minute interval; Sincev I themake-and-break device 105 is operated continuously, it will be seenthat-longitudinally the record 'sheet assumes a constantly changingposition during .the 24 hours'of the day.

Adjacent to the record sheet 95 arep erforating magnets 17 and 18 foreach space representing a block upon the record sheet. Pivotallyattached to armatures 114 of these perforating magnets, are perforatingneedles as 115, so positioned adjacent to the record sheet that when aperforating magnet is energized, a erforation is made on the recordsheet. The circuit through perforating magnets 17 is controlled byarmature 116 of relay 15 and the circuit through perfov rating magnet 18is controlled by armature 117 of alternatingcurrent relay 1 6.

When switch 19 is in contact with either spring'contacts 28 or 17, andthere is no train in the block ahead, current is flowing through relay15 but this current is not sufiicient by reason of resistance 35 in themain circult, to attract armature 116 so as to close front contact 118and therefore the circuit through perforating magnet 17 is notclosed.If, however, there isa train in the block, track relay 5 becomesdeene'ra gized and armature 6 of track relay 5 establishes ashuntcircuit, which cuts out'resistance 35 as follows: from terminal 34in" the main circuit, wire 119 armature 6 of track relay 5, back contact11, wires 120 and 12 to track rail, and with resistance 35 thus cut outin the circuit, thereis sufiicient cur rent flowing through relay 15 toattract the armatures 116 and close front contact 118. When this occursa circuit is closed through perforating magnet 17 as follows: from battery- 107, wires 108 and 121, metallic contact plate 122, bus 123, wire12 1, perforating magnet 17,. wire 125, front contact 118, arma-- ture116, wires 126 and 111, to the other side of battery 107.

Similarly when switch 20. is in contact with spring contact 55 "andthere is no train inthe block, current is flowing through relay 16, butthis current is not 'sufiicient'by reason of resistance in thecircuit toattract armature 117, was to close front contact 127, and therefore thecircuit through perforating magnet 18 is not closed. If, however, thereis atrain in the block, track relay 5 becomesdeenergized and armature 6of track relay 5 establishes the same shuntcircuit as hereinbeforedescribed,-thus cutting out resistance 35. With resistance 35 thus cutout of the circuit, there is sufficient current flowing through relay 16to attract the armature 117 and close front contact 127. When thisoccurs a, circuit is closed through perforatingmagnet 18 as follows:

from battery 107, wires 108 and 121, me-

tallic contact plate 122, bus 123, wire 124, perforating magnet 18, wire128,- front contact 127, armature 117, wires 129, and 111, to the otherside of battery 107. c

It will thus be seen that when switch 19 is in contact with eitherspring contact 28 or 47 and there is a'tram in the 'block, perforatingmagnet 17 will make a perforation on the record sheet, and when switch20 is in contact with spring contact and there is a train in the block,perforating magnet 18 will make a perforation on the recordsheet.

It will thus be seen that the circuit through the perforating magnets 17and 18 is taken through a circuit breaking dev ce 122 so that thiscircuit is periodical y, made ing, or to sto and broken. This circuitbreaking device operates as follows: Metallic contact plate .122, isattached to armature 100 and ..insulated therefrom and every time. theelectromagnet 101 is energized, which as hereinbefore stated, is, sayevery five seconds, the contact through'wire 121 andbus123 is closedthrough the metallic plate 122. When magnet 101 is deenergized, armature100 is.

pulled to the right by spring 103 and the circuitthrough wire 121 andbus 123 is broken. By reason of this periodic breaking of-the circuitthrough perforating magnets 17 and .18, a continuous perforation is madeon the record sheet, as long as the blockiis occupied.

It will thus be seen that when a train enters a block, and either of theswitches 19 or 20 are closed, either perforating magnet 17 or 18commences to perforate, thus recording the exact time when a trainenters a block and the perforating magnet continues to perforate untilthe train has left the block, thus recording the length of time thetrain remained in the block.

The modification as shown in Fig. 2, consists in that a seventh signalis added in addition to the six signals shown in Fig. 1 and aredesignated as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The operation of signals Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

and 6 is identical as that shown and described in Fig. 1, but instead ofestablishing a branch circuit through signal No. 6'

when the block ahead is occupied, a new circuit is established throughsignal No. 7,

when the block is occupied as follows: from battery 72, wires 73 and 93,armature 8 of track relay 5, back contact 12, wire 130, signal No. 7 andwire 79., to the other side of battery 72. W'ith this arrangement theengineer of the train will know that when signal No. 6 is displayed tohim, that this si al was displayed-from the dis 'atchers Y 0 cc, butwhensignal' No. 7 is disp ayed, he

will know that it is by reason of the block ahead being occupied.

The purpose of the invention is 'first of all to lprovideinstrumentalities or signals to ma e theoperation of trains safe, but inaddition to provide instrumentalities or signals which will enable thedispatcher to facilitate the movement of trains, for instance, signalNo. land signal No. 6, or 1 and 7 maybe used for safety purposes, signal1 indicating a clear track ahead and signals6 or 7 indicating danger orstop. The other signals may .be used for facility purposes, .such asindieating to the engineer to stop at the next siding and remain on themain track. or to stop at the next siding and'pull-into the sidat thenext station and report to the ispacher, or listen in on his wirelesstelephone. Any of the seven signals may be used as designated by theexecutive oflicers of the railway. Some of the signals, particularlythose for safety purof my invention and explained the operation andprinciple thereof; nevertheless',-I desire to have it understood thatthe form selected is merely"illustrative, but does not exhaust thepossible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying myinvention.

.What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, isL.

1. In a railway-train control system, in

combination: a trackway; means dividing the trackway. into electricallyisolated sections; a group of more than two signals foreach SBCtIOII; acentral station; means at the central station operative in connectionwith sources of current andconnecting with a'- corresponding group.of-"signals for selectively displaying one signal of the group; a

track relay for each .section and means operative through the trackrelay when the corresponding section is occupied by' a car forafiecting. theo erativeness of the control ofcertain of sai signals bysaidcentral'station means without aifecting the operativeness of thecontrol of the remainder of said signals by said central station means;

2. In a railway train control system, in

. combination: a trackway; means dividing the trackway into electricallyisolated sections;;a group of more than two signals for each section; acentral station; means at the central statlon operative in connectionwith sources of current and connecting with. a .45

corresponding group of signals for selective ly displaying one signal ofthe group; a'track' relay for each section and means operative throughthe track relay when the corresponding section is occupied by a car foraffecting the operativeness' ofthe control of certain of said signals-bysaid central sta tion means without afi'ecting the operativeness' of thecontrol of the remainderof said signals by said central station means,said track relay being also operative when its corresponding section isoccupied by a car to produce a danger signal operation in said 3. In arailway train control system, in combination: a trackway; means dividingthe trackway into electrically isolated sections; a group of more thantwo si nals' positioned along. the trackway in re ation to each section;means at the central station operative in connection with sources of ourrent and connecting with a corresponding.

group of signals for selectively displaying 7 one signal of the group; atrack relay for each section and means operative through the track relaywhen thecorresponding section is occupied by a car for affecting theoperativeness of the-control of certain of said signals by said centralstation means .without afiecting; the operativen'ess of the control ofthe remainder of said signals by said central station means.

4. In a railway train control system, in

combination: a trackway; means dividing the ,trackway into electricallyisolated sections; a 'roup of more than two signals for each section; atrack relay for each section; a central station; means at the centralstation for selectively operating the signals of each group; and meansfor additionally and automatically controllin only a part of thesignalsof each group rom said track relay.

PAUL J SIMMEN.

